Change the Lives of 240 Vulnerable Youth in Kenya

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

Cohort 11 commenced on 18th January 2022 after the recruitment process that began in December 2021 was finalized. To reach out to the underprivileged youths in the Kibera community, the team leveraged a list of Kibera high schools from the program alumni, local leaders, and social media. The school outreach is a new recruitment channel for us, the school representatives were generally very receptive to the idea of partnering with the Good Kenyan Foundation as a supply of youths from their schools. We have since secured long-term partnerships from five high schools within Kibera to partner for the upcoming KCSE graduating class of 2022 and continuously thereafter.

Out of the many applications, 31 students were invited to the interview and16 were selected to join cohort 11.

OPENING DAY

This was held on 17th January 2022 at the Good Kenyan Foundation center. The students were welcomed by the team and got to interact with the facilitators, alumni, and staff of the Good Kenyan Community. They received a welcome package of stationery and a branded t-shirt as well as hygiene paraphernalia. They learned and asked questions and clarifications about the program and got a chance to know each other as well as share their expectations and goals within the program.

The class also got to interact with the ICT pillar after the orientation. Mr. Oliver ran his introduction class with them and shared what to expect from the course. The students later had lunch and eventually went to their homes in the afternoon.

LEARNING SESSIONS

We began with introductory classes on orientation week, the sessions designed to share the objectives of the units, to obtain the expectations from the trainees, share a course outline, and spark curiosity and the interest of the learners. 

After the orientation, the facilitators hit the ground running, teaching the unit contents on a weekly basis. The mode of having the sessions was mostly through physical classes. Online classes are also utilized but have been minimal as physical classes have significantly proven to be more engaging between the students and the facilitators. Learning was through classroom teaching models, practical activities, individual and group assignments, and extra tutoring where necessary. The core units include Basic ICT, Entrepreneurship, Life Skills Training, and Art and Design.

The Good Kenyan team has also incorporated guest trainers who take the trainees through various key topics. The topics covered include Career Planning, Storytelling, Writing, Problem Solving, and the Art of Negotiation.

STUDENT STORY

Meet Isabelle is 19 years old in cohort 11 Although she lives relatively far, she commutes daily to the Good Kenyan Centre daily and is always punctual, and has never missed a class. Isabelle initially wanted to be a teacher but was unable to join a teacher's college due to her high school grades. On graduating from high school taught herself how to knit, making beautiful sweaters and scarves. 

She was unable to keep up with buying new knotting threads to meet her practice demands so she resorted to undoing them to retain her thread at the end of every project. 

Isabelle has since learned that she can make out a career in fashion and design and iis very determined to get a scholarship to learn the ins and outs of the industry in a higher learning institution and use it as a means to earn a living. At Good Kenyan, she enjoys the Entrepreneurship and Art and Design pillars as it ties with her newfound career path.

MENTORSHIP

The Good Kenyan team carried out a recruitment activity to reach out to practicing professionals who are passionate about young people and are willing to invest in their future. The initial call was made through Social Media platforms, with a heavy focus on LinkedIn. 34 professionals reached out after this and after screening and interviews, 16 were selected to correspond to the number of students in Cohort 11. Some of them were also saved on the database as prospects for the next recruitment season in May 2022. 

The mentors and mentees were thereafter matched according to career or personal interest or personality dynamics. 

Mentors Workshop

We held a workshop on the 19th of February 2022. The objective of the workshop is to ensure the mentors are equipped and well prepared for the one-year-long mentorship journey. The main role of the mentor is to support the mentee and act as their accountability partner as they (mentee) create a feasible career and personal development plan for themselves and to take steps targeted towards the corresponding goals.